Method for eliminating bacteria from food

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a method to eliminate gram negative bacterial pathogens from food or produce. This method includes the steps of exposing produce or food to an electrically conductive medium having an anode and a cathode; inserting the anode of the electrically conductive medium into a water flume; connecting the cathode of the electrically conductive medium to a conveyor belt to convey the produce or food through the water flume for increasing the negative electrostatic charge on the surface of the pathogen cells selected to cause cell lysis; and attaching one or more misters to the roof of a water chamber to disperse the water in the water chamber. When DC current is applied to any pathogen cell that is gram negative, it overrides the internal governing electrostatic charge controlling the pathogen cell causing cell lysis. This is the “Achilles heel” of gram negative bacteria pathogen cells.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application, claiming priority toco-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/292,622, filed Nov. 9,2011, entitled Apparatus for the Elimination of Bacteria from Food,which claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/411,744, filed Nov. 9, 2010, entitled Method and Apparatus for theElimination of Bacteria from Food.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gram negative bacteria, including strains of Escherichia coli andSalmonella, are hazardous to human health, particularly when food itemsare contaminated with them. In addition to the health affects on thosewho consume contaminated food, outbreaks of illness associated withbacteria contamination represents a major adverse economic threat tofood industries, particularly when production must be halted to identifythe source of the contamination, and when products already released intothe market must be recalled.

Certain attempts have been made to introduce an effective “kill-step”into the line of production for foods, including subjecting food tovarious chemicals or radiation that may be partially lethal to thepathogens. However, these methods have proven to be less than idealsolutions because they do not guaranty a high enough rate ofeffectiveness, and also because they subject food to residues thatpresent their own health impacts and/or interference with flavor, etc.

Therefore it is desirable to achieve a so-called “kill-step” thateliminates most, if not all, bacteria pathogens from food or produce. Itis also desirable that such a “kill-step” be relatively inexpensive,and—when possible—be effectuated by an apparatus that can beretro-fitted to existing food production equipment for produce, meat,dairy, and other foodstuffs.

Some basic definitions of the scientific principles involved in theprocess may be helpful at this point. Electrical current effects changesin cell surface properties. These changes occur by affecting thefollowing: surface hydrophobicity, net surface electrostatic and allsurface shapes and polymers. Hydrophobicity is explained as a “dislikeand like” of the microbial to water. Hydrophobic interactions define thestrong attraction between hydrophobic molecules and surfaces in water.This hydrophobicity determines adherence to surfaces. Polysaccharides,proteins and amino acids are all hydrophobic in nature and make up thecompounds of the cell walls. The net negative surface electrical chargeis increased under DC applications and determines the interactionbetween bacteria cell, surfaces, and DC currents.

Electric DC current can change cell movement from surfaces. This isbecause bacteria cells are generally negatively charged which dictatestheir electrophoresis movement in DC currents. In essence, it overridesand energizes the internal governing system at the surface level andcauses instant absorption of H2O into the cell and blows up the cell,similar to a balloon filled with water, When bacterial species areexposed to DC electrical current or fields, they affect cell surfacesand cell shapes. This process also involves electro kinetics. Electrokinetics is the application of a weak DC current or potential to soil orproducts or aquifer and water. The mode of action through the cellsurface hydrophobicity plays out through electrical current causing cellshape change and increases the net negative surface electrical charge.This change affects extracellular polymers as well as Hydrophobicity,which, is greatly increased after DC current applications. DC currentcan and does increase the negative surface electrostatic charge causingH2O to rush in burst and flatten the cell walls.

Once the cell wall is saturated with DC current, irreversiblepermualization of the cell wall occurs then oxidation reduction takesplace to finish bacteria off. Electric DC current effects orientation ofthe membrane lipids and through electrical application causesirreversible permeabilization of the cell wall. DC current also producesoxidation reduction agents such as chlorine and hydrogen peroxide.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a system and a method to eliminateE.Coli bacteria from various food products. When DC current is appliedto any pathogen that is gram negative, it overrides the internalgoverning electrostatic charge that controls and causes the hydrophilicnature of E.Coli to be activated and rushes in water instantaneously.This results in E.Coli blowing itself up. This is E.Coli's “Achillesheel”. Testing has shown when E.Coli is exposed. to as little as 30volts for approximately 30 seconds, 99.9% of ALL E.Coli were killed.100% kill using 60 volts has been achieved through this invention.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide a method for eliminatingbacterial pathogens from produce or food. This method includes the stepsof exposing produce or food to an electrically conductive medium havingan anode and a cathode; inserting the anode of the electricallyconductive medium into a water flume; connecting the cathode of theelectrically conductive medium to a conveyor belt to convey the produceor food through the water flume for increasing the negativeelectrostatic charge on the surface of the pathogen cells selected tocause cell lysis; and attaching one or more misters to the roof of awater chamber to disperse the water in the water chamber.

In this disclosure, the terms “food” and “produce” have the same meaningand can be used individually, collectively or linked by the term “or”and still have the same meaning.

Consequently, for a better understanding of the present invention, itsfunctional advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, claims anddescriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodimentsof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a DC charged chamber.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of wash line and dewatering belts.

FIG. 3 illustrates incline belt to electrified bagger and cone.

FIG. 4 illustrates the kill step as applied in the pre-harvest field.

FIG. 5 is a sample depiction of test results showing that applying thekill test removed the E.Coli bacteria from all tested food products.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out various embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made for atleast the purpose of illustrating the general principles of theinvention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by theappended claims.

Applicant has determined that subjecting gram negative pathogens, suchas E. Coli and Salmonella, to direct current—within specific voltage andamperage ranges—is lethal to those pathogens at an effectively completerate. Applicant has determined that similar results can be achieved byexposing said pathogens to electrolyzed water. These methods areadvantageous because they generally do no harm to produce, meat or otherfoods and leave no measurable residues of chemicals that would interferewith food safety or flavor. One of the mechanisms of the kill is that itaffects solids and fluids.

It has been determined that direct current anywhere in the range of 30to 105,000 volts may be lethal to gram negative pathogens. Similarly, ithas been determined that current in the range of 0.01 milli-amps to 50amps are effectively lethal to said pathogens. In various possibleembodiments of the inventive concept, exposure times have been shown tobe effective in as little as 0.75 seconds or as much as 90 seconds,depending upon voltage and current, again dependent upon the foodsubstance being treated. Therefore, according to the present inventiveconcept, an effective method for treating produce, meat or other foodsmay be to subject those foods to direct current within said ranges inorder to kill bacterial pathogens.

In various embodiments of the inventive concept the voltage may bevaried over time in a manner appropriate for the food product orsubstance being treated. Alternatively, it is possible that alternatingcurrent, or rectified alternating current may also be used in an effortto treat the food product or substance being treated. The voltage andcurrent required for any particular food product or substance will varyand such variations may be apparent to one reasonably skilled in theart.

In one possible embodiment of said inventive concept, food conveyanceequipment or dryers may be equipped with electrodes such that food(e.g., produce) passing along said conveyance equipment is subjected todirect current within the necessary ranges. In an alternative embodimentof the inventive concept, food to be treated may be passed through awater bath, chamber or tank, again equipped with positive and negativeleads such that direct current passes across said bath or tank. Invarious alternative embodiments, as many pairs of positive and negativeleads may be attached to said bath or tank as is necessary to achieveroughly uniform direct current across the water medium. Similarly,conveyance equipment may be equipped with multiple pairs of leads suchthat produce or that food is subjected to direct current. Said currentmay be made possible either by equipping the conveyance surface withconductive material (such as copper, aluminum or other metal), or bysubjecting the conveyance zone with a water mist by means of overheadmisters. Other embodiments or alternatives that adequately subjectproduce or other food to an electrically conductive environment will beobvious to one reasonably skilled in the art and are intended to beincorporated herein.

For embodiments reliant upon conductive conveyor belts, alternativeembodiments include mesh, diamond cut, or solid belts. The only limitingaspect of the embodiment is that the direct current adequately passesthrough the produce or other food being moved by said conveyance issubjected to the direct current.

In additional possible embodiments, the inclusion of various additivesto said water bath or mist, including chlorine, chlorine compounds,hydrogen compounds or mineral salts, may increase the effectivenesseither by reducing the time required or voltage required to deliver afully lethal dose of direct current to bacterial pathogens.

The direct-current “kill-step” apparatus can be integrated intowash-lines in processing facilities, incline-belts at bagging/packagingfacilities, or even into harvest equipment in the field.

DC is a straight-lined current. AC is an alternating current in its waveform. Heat is associated with the AC current spectrum due to alternatingcurrents which creates friction that produces heat. DC current has verylittle thermal heat associated with it, preserving quality and notharming product.

The principal foundation stone of the kill step is that E.Coli and otherpathogens that are gram negative are negatively charged at the molecularlevel, This turns out to be the “Achilles heel” of all pathogens thatare gram negative. Because E.Coli is negatively charged, it interfaceswith hydrogen atoms balancing their liquid media. Its surrounding microenvironment and its interaction with it and water molecules is calledhydrophobicity, the love and hate relationship between water and E.Coli.

When DC current is applied to any pathogen that is gram negative, itoverrides the internal governing electrostatic charge that controls andcauses the hydrophilic nature of E.Coli to be activated. This results inE.Coli blowing itself up. This is E.Coli's “Achilles heel”. Testing hasshown when E.Coli is exposed to as little as 30 volts for approximately30 seconds, 99.9% of ALL E.Coli were killed. The present inventionachieved 100% kill using 60 volts. FIG. 1 illustrates a DC chargedchamber. The size of DC Generator 10 is determined by the load thatneeds to be processed and the space that needs to be charged to kill thee-coli effectively i.e., a product of length width and depth. The amountof charge in the air is determined by calculating the sum of distanceplus volts plus amps. Conveyer system 11 is used for conveying thecharged particles through a distance. Conveyer speeds are determined bydwell times. The vapor mist charged chamber 12 can be lined with varioussubstances such as aluminum. The vapor mist charge chamber 12 alsoconsists of water in addition to sanitizers, misters such as pvc pipewith a nozzle 13 at the end. The mist is electrically charged. Theconveyer belt 11 is electrically charged with DC current. The DCconveyer belt 11 is retrofitted with multiple hot leads 14 to achieveuniform electrical distribution of current throughout the conveyer belt12. The misting chamber 12 is electrically charged with DC current whichis evenly distributed by the electric charge throughout the system bymultiple hot leads 14. In one implementation of the system, hydrogenperoxide compounds, chlorine compounds and other sanitizing chemicalscould be added as synergistic and enhancing applications.

After the initial flash contact of DC current with gram negativepathogens, a secondary aspect of DC current is produced which includehydrogen peroxide and chlorine. Both may be naturally produced at thelocation of the flash becoming the final oxidation reduction agents,once irreversible permeabilization of the cell wall is achieved throughDC current application.

The kill step may not only treat the products externally, but may alsokill gram negative pathogens and toxins inside infected plants andtissues exploiting the same principal of killing. One of mechanics ofthe kill is that it affects solids and fluids. This is accomplishedthrough electricity and magnetism. The electrical current that is usedis generally DC, though other type of currents may be used for thispurpose. It affects electrical charges through Coulombs Law, byelectrical fields such as voltage and current. The biology of livingorganisms is affected at the cellular level through the cell membrane,and cell structure via, cell energy flow and cell respiration. Both areconsidered lethal categories for pathogens. In one implementation, whenquantum physics is applied, wave function used in Schrodinger equationcan affects hydrogen energies and hydrogen spectrum through particles offorce affecting the molecular structure.

The next step in this process is activated by a chemical reaction.Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibriums affect acids and bases,producing oxidation and reduction agents in the process. Thebioelectrical phenomena applied to the cell wall affects potential, andincreases, action potential of fluids. Also involved is electrochemistry which involves electro chemical compounds. DC current producesoxidation and reduction agents. It also changes the energy gradient ofcell walls which affects equilibriums and constants.

The electro chemical reactions electrify the cell causing aqueouselectrolysis producing chlorine and hydrogen peroxide. When electrodesare used at the cathode side, hydrogen peroxide is produced at the site.On the anode side, chlorine is produced, thus naturally producing twooxidation reduction agents. As a result of electrolysis and hydrogenperoxide, oxidizing radicals and chlorine molecules are produced. Othereffects on the pathogen include oxidation of enzymes and coenzymes suchas NADH. This leads to membrane damage, leakage of essential cytophasminconstituents and decreases respiration. In this process, furtherdegradation of COA enzymes occurs. In summary, DC electrically oxidizesthese enzymes which lead to inhibition of cell respiration and celldeath.

Another advantage of the present technology is that DC current also hasthe potential to degrade the toxin itself once deployed inside theplant. Once bound to the cell, the pathogen excretes the toxin in aprocess called receptor-mediation endoctosis. These toxins once releasedare made up of two amino acids and are critical for the distinctglyolipid bonding of the toxin. If amino acids are broken down by DCcurrent, then one can assume that exposure to DC current would destroythe integrity of amino acids that constitute the toxin making themdysfunctional.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of wash line and dewatering belts. The flume20 can be of different sizes, width and height. The flume 20 hasmultiple hot leads 21 surrounding the wash line system 22. The productmoves across an electrically charged dewatering belt 23. The flume 20 ison each side of electrically charged dewatering belt 23. Water goes intothe second bath. from the belt; the electrically charged flumes 20 arefilled up with electrically charged water. Next the product to beprocessed is added into the flume 20 where it becomes electricallycharged. After the food product reaches the electrically chargeddewatering belt 23, the kill test may be applied, the food can onceagain be decontaminated. Washlines are in different shapes and sizeswith varying widths; the kill step process can be applied to anywashline. in another implementation, any processing equipment in thefield or processing plants and any field operation and the wateringplants applications can utilize this process.

FIG. 3 illustrates incline belt to electrified bagger and cone. Theincline belt 30 can be made from any conductive metal, or composites,such as aluminum. The food may take between 15-20 seconds to reach thetop. The incline belt 30, cone 31 and baggers 32 are all electrified.The food items to be processed are placed on the incline belt 30 and ittravels to the cone 31. The food is processed on cone 31 and then baggedinto bagger 32. It is an electrically charged belt with multiple leadsin hopper and incline belt. After it comes out of the wash line 23 anddewatering belts, the food is put in the dryer, which may be electrifiedas well, and then transferred to the hopper 35, The belt is inclined inorder to enable the food. product to travel to the top of the bagger.The cone 31 is a weighing scale to weigh the produce coming in from theelectrically charged incline belt 30 and loads the food into bucket 36.The food product is dropped from the bucket 36 to bagger 32 where it ispackaged. Packaged food is then moved on the electronically charged belt34.

FIG. 4 illustrates the kill step as applied in the pre-harvest field.The food product to be cleaned and processed enters the tank 41 via anelectrified belt 40. Any application of misters is included. Multipleleads 42 are activated on the sides of the water tank 41. In order todisperse electrical charge uniformly, multiple leads 42 are placedaround the tank 41 to ensure that electrical charge is spread evenlyacross the entire electric belt in the tank. In another implementationany sanitizing chemical such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide can be addedto the process for enhancement. Dwell times for the particular equipmentcan vary according to equipment and product.

FIG. 5 is a sample depiction of test results showing that applying thekill test removed the E.Coli bacteria from all tested food products. Forexample, applying 70+ volts at 1 amp to 10 g spinach for 30 seconds gavea 100% kill result for the present E.Coli bacteria. The spinach had beeninfected with E.Coli bacteria prior to testing. A person with ordinaryskill in the art can use this technology to kill other pathogens aswell, including gram positive bacteria.

The kill test results and concepts can be applied to pre- andpost-harvest applications in the field preventing exposure to theprocessing plants eliminating contamination. Other industries and foodproviders such as meat, dairy, cheese, eggs, water, and soil etc. canutilize this kill system as well. The ready availability of DC batteriesincreases the acceptability of the process by consumers.

It should be understood that the foregoing relates to exemplaryembodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also heunderstood that the present invention is not limited to the designsmentioned in this application and the equivalent designs in thisdescription, but it is also intended to cover other equivalents nowknown to those skilled in the art, or those equivalents which may becomeknown to those skilled in the art in the future.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention pertains to a method of eliminating bacteria from food,specifically gram negative bacterial pathogens from food which may be ofvalue or importance to various industries such as, but not limited to,farming/growers/produce/food market.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for eliminating bacterial pathogens fromproduce or food, the method comprising the steps of: exposing produce orfood to an electrically conductive medium, said medium having at leasttwo electrically conductive terminals; inserting one of the terminals ofthe electrically conductive medium into a water flume; connecting theother one of the terminals of the electrically conductive medium to aconveyor belt to convey the produce or food through the water flume forincreasing the negative electrostatic charge on the surface of thepathogen cells selected to cause cell lysis; and attaching one or moremisters to the roof of a water chamber to disperse the water in thewater chamber.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the other one of theterminals is grounded.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electricallyconductive medium is a DC power source.
 4. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising the step of applying an electric current across theelectrically conductive medium at a pre-selected minimum voltage.
 5. Themethod of claim 4 wherein the pre-selected voltage is in excess of 30volts.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the misted water in the waterchamber includes water, sanitizers and minerals.
 7. The method of claim1 wherein the misters distribute the electronically charged waterparticles substantially evenly within the chamber.
 8. The method ofclaim 2 wherein a DC current produces oxidation reduction agentscomprising chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to enhance the cell lysis ofthe pathogen cells selected.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the gramnegative bacteria is E.coli or Salmonella.
 10. The method of claim 2wherein a DC current is generated by providing a conveyance surfacehaving a conductive material comprised, of copper or aluminum.
 11. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the conveyor belt includes mesh, diamond cutor solid belts.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein additives added to themist includes chlorine, chlorine compounds, hydrogen compounds ormineral salts to reduce the time or voltage required for causing celllysis.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the terminals is ananode and the other terminal is a cathode.
 14. The method of claim 13wherein the cathode is grounded.